C Flashcards
cabal
n. small group of people united secretly to promote their interests
The reporters discovered a cabal working to overthrow the government.
cache
n. hiding place; something hidden
The rebel army had a cache of weapons in a cave.
cachet
n. superior status; prestige
Dr. Lee thinks that the cachet of a Lexus is worth the expense.
cacophony
n. jarring, unpleasant noise
There was a cacophony as each member of the rock band tuned his instrument at full volume.
cadence
n. balanced, rhythmic flow; the measure or beat of movement
Although she couldn’t understand the language, the visitor enjoyed listening to its cadence.
cadge
v. to beg or get by begging
Why is that rich guy always trying to cadge a meal?
cajole
v. to flatter, coax, persuade
The teacher cajoled the lazy student into completing his assignment.
calamitous
adj. disastrous, catastrophic
Scientists believe that the effect of pollution on the environment will be calamitous.
calculated
adj. deliberately planned
The advertisement was calculated to create a demand for the new product.
callous
adj. thick-skinned, insensitive
The callous boys laughed at the miserable beggar.
callow
adj. immature
Though still a callow youth, Steven thought he had the answer to just about every question.
calumny
n. false and malicious accusation, slander
The political candidate used calumny to tarnish his opponent’s reputation.
camaraderie
n. good will and rapport among friends
There’s a great camaraderie in Ms. Smith’s class.
canard
n. false, deliberately misleading rumor or story
The comedian likes to repeat the old canard that New Jersey is a cultural desert.
candid
adj. honest in expression
The musician asked the teacher for a candid evaluation of her performance.
candor
n. honesty of expression
The judge asked for candor from the witness.
canny
adj. intelligent
The canny pitcher constantly varies his pitches so batters don’t know what type of pitch they’ll get.
canon
n. an established principle; standard for judging; an authoritative list
The canons of artistic taste vary from era to era.
canonize
v. to declare a person a saint, raise to highest honors
Saints are canonized only after a thorough investigation of their lives.
cant
n. insincere talk; language of a particular group
After the editor removed the cant from the senator’s speech, little was left.
cantankerous
adj. irritable; ill-humored
The old man became cantankerous after becoming ill.
canvas
v. to examine thoroughly; conduct a poll
The new company canvassed the town to find out how much demand there was for its products.
capacious
adj. large, roomy
The couple moved into a capacious house after they had children.
capitulate
v. to surrender
Surrounded by enemy forces, the general capitulated to the surrender terms of the enemy commander.
capricious
adj. impulsive and unpredictable
This capricious weather makes it difficult to plan what to wear.
captious
adj. faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in argument
The lawyer objected to the prosecutor’s captious questioning of the witness.
carcinogen
n. a substance or agent that causes cancer
Scientists have identified thousands of carcinogens.
cardinal
adj. of foremost importance
The professor told her students, “For me, intellectual honesty is the cardinal virtue.”
cardiologist
n. doctor who treats diseases of the heart
The cardiologist detected an irregular heartbeat when he examined the patient.
caricature
n. exaggerated portrait
This book contains caricatures of leading politicians.
carnal
adj. of the flesh
Many modern films appeal to people’s carnal desired.
carping
v. constantly complaining or being naggingly critical
The student is tired of her English teacher carping about her grammar mistakes.
carte blanche
n. unrestricted power
The recording studio gave the rock band carte blanche to create the best record they could.
cartography
n. science of making maps
Advances in cartography have given us accurate maps.
Casanova
n. a man who is amorously attentive to women; a promiscuous man
Ted’s getting a reputation as a real Casanova.
caste
n. any of the hereditary social classes of India; social stratification
Caste has existed in India from the beginning of that society.
castigate
v. to punish, chastise, criticize
The bank manger castigated the teller for cashing a bad check.
casuistry
n. false or excessively subtle reasoning
The judge accused the lawyer of casuistry when she offered ten meanings of the world “is.”
cataclysm
n. a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
A collision of the Earth with another planet would cause a cataclysm.
catalyst
n. something causing change
The journalist’s well-researched articles were a catalyst for reform in government.
catastrophe
n. a great calamity
The government set up a department to deal with catastrophes such as large earthquakes.
categorical
adj. absolute, without exception
“My answer is categorical: no exception will be made.”
catharsis
n. purification, cleansing
To some people that movie is shallowly sentimental, while to others it produces a catharsis.
cathartic
adj. relating to purification or cleansing
Many people found the movie cathartic.
catholic
adj. universal, comprehensive
The United Nations seeks to be a catholic organization, embracing all the peoples of the world.
caucus
n. smaller group within an organization
Ten members of the political party formed a caucus to discuss policy changes.
causal
adj. involving a cause
The study established a causal relationship between smoking and heart disease.
causality
n. cause-and-effect relationship
It is often difficult to prove causality in scientific experiments.
causation
n. the causing of an effect; the relation of cause and effect
“Correlation does not imply causation” is a phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that correlation between two variables does not automatically imply that one causes the other.
causative
adj. functioning as a cause
The scientist is trying to identify the causative agent in the process.
cause célèbre
n. any controversy that attracts great public attention
The Dreyfus affair was a cause célèbre in France in the late nineteenth century.
caustic
adj. sarcastically biting; burning
The teacher made a caustic comment about the student’s poor writing.
cavalier
adj. carefree, happy; showing offhand disregard; dismissive
His cavalier approach annoys me; I prefer a systematic and careful approach.
caveat
n. a warning; a qualification or explanation
The experienced businessman added several important caveats to the contract.
cavort
v. to frolic
The young couple cavorted on the beach all afternoon.
cede
v. to surrender possession of something
This court ruling means he will have to cede his house to the person who sued him.
celestial
adj. concerning the sky or heaven; sublime
Even as a child the astronomer loved to look at celestial objects.
celibate
adj. abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried
The monk took a vow to remain celibate for his entire life.
censorious
adj. severely critical
The investigating committee’s report was censorious, condemning government inaction on the environment.
censure
v. to blame; criticize
The Senate voted to censure one of its members for unethical conduct.
centrifugal
adj. moving away from a center
When a car is turning a corner, its occupants experience centrifugal force as a force pushing them in the opposite direction to which the car is turning.
centripetal
adj. moving or directed toward the center
Centripetal force pulls an object toward the center of a circular path.
cerebral
adj. intellectually sophisticated
Joe’s interests tend toward cerebral subjects such as literature and science.
certitude
n. assurance, certainty
According to some philosophers, certitude is never possible because our knowledge of the world is limited.
cessation
n. halt
The cessation of work at the construction site brought welcome relief from the noise.
chargrin
n. shame, embarrassment
To his chagrin, John realized he had forgotten to say thank you to the man that saved his liife.
chalice
n. cup
The winner of the golf tournament receives a silver chalice.
champion
v. to defend or support
The union champions the rights of workers.
charisma
n. personal magnetism or charm
The president’s charisma helps him to gain support for his policies.
charismatic
adj. relating to personal magnetism or charm
The charismatic leader was re-elected in a land-slide.
charlatan
n. fake
The licensing of medical practitioners by the state helps protect the public from charlatans.
chary
adj. wrathful, cautious
Children are generally taught to be chary of strangers.
chaste
adj. not having experienced sexual intercourse; morally pure in thought and conduct
Young people in the country are expected to remain chaste until marriage.
chastise
v. to punish, scold
The boss chastised the worker for her bad performance.
chauvinism
n. fanatical patriotism; prejudiced belief in the superiority of a certain group
The dictator made an appeal to chauvinism.
chauvinistic
adj. relating to fanatical patriotisms or prejudiced belief in the superiority of a group
Each of the three candidates tried to appear more chauvinistic than the other.
cherubic
adj. sweet, innocent, resembling an angel
The artist is famous for her paintings of cherubic infants.
chicanery
n. trickery, fraud
The political party used chicanery to ensure their candidate’s election.
chide
v. to scold
The teacher chided the student for being late to class.
chimera
n. something that is fantastic; fanciful mental illusion
Tim’s goal of becoming a movie star is achimera.
chimerical
adj. fantastic; highly imaginative
The fantasy writer populates her novel with chimerical creatures.
chivalry
n. the qualities idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women
Chivalry is still alive in practices such as men holding doors open for women.
choleric
adj. short-tempered
Ralph’s choleric disposition is always getting him into disputes.
chromatic
adj. relating to color
Astronomers call the haze of color surrounding bright objects in a telescope “chromatic aberration.”
chronic
adj. habitual, repetitive; constant
Earl takes medicine to relieve his chronic back pain.
chronicle
n. record of historical events
Historians work to chronicle historical events.
churlish
adj. rude; boorish
The hotel guest apologized for his churlish behavior.
cipher
n. secret code
The intelligence service broke the enemy’s cipher.
n. non-entity; worthless person or thing
Barely anyone notices the cipher who woks in our office.
circuitous
adj. roundabout
Sometimes I take a circuitous route home from work because of the great views.
circumlocution
n. indirect way of saying something
Tired of the speaker’s circumlocution, someone shouted, “Just tell us what you really think.”
circumscribe
v. to limit narrowly; restrict
The educator believes that a child’s reading should not be circumscribed.
circumscription
n. the act of limiting or confining
The participants agree to a circumscription of the scope of the debate.
circumspect
adj. cautions, wary
Hillary has adopted a circumspect approach after agreeing with every proposal without a protest.
circumvent
v. to avoid by clever maneuvering
Some people like to confront problems, whereas others prefer to circumvent them.
citadel
n. fortress
Rather than attack the citadel, the general decided to lay siege to it.
civil
adj. polite; relating to citizens
Jim is a gentleman known for his civil behavior.
civility
n. courtesy, politeness
Many people have complained about the lack of civility in political debate today.
clairvoyant
adj. able to predict the future, psychic
The economist’s predictions were so accurate that some people said she must be clairvoyant.
clamber
v. to climb by crawling
The children clambered into their bunk beds.
clamor (n.)
n. noisy outcry
The public clamor following the train crash resulted in an official investigation into the accident.
clamor (v.)
v. cry out noisily
The public clamored for an investigation into the cause of the accident.
clandestine
adj. secretive
The lovers arranged a clandestine meeting.
claustrophobia
n. fear of small confined places
The astronauts in the small spaceship complained of claustrophobia.
clemency
n. leniency
The prisoner appealed to the warden for clemency.
cliché
n. an overused expression or idea
“As American as apple pie” may be a cliché, but that doesn’t stop a lot of people from saying it.
clique
n. a small, exclusive group
Unable to gain admission to any of the cliques in school, Richard decided to start his own clique.
cloister
v. to confine, seclude
The writer cloistered herself in a cabin in the mountains for a week to finish her book.
coagulate
v. to thicken; congeal
Aspirin makes human blood coagulate less readily.
coalesce
v. to cause to become one
The class coalesced as the year went on.
coalition
n. an alliance
A coalition of nations combined their forces to defeat the aggressor.
coda
n. concluding part of literary of musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes
The novel’s coda suggests several ways to interpret the work.
codification
n. systematization
Codification of the state’s laws was completed in 1886.
codify
v. to systematize
The state’s laws were modified in 1824.
coercion
n. use of force
The bully didn’t get what he wanted by using threats, so he resorted to coercion.
coerce
v. to persuade someone to do something by using threats or force
The student was coerced to attend detention.
coercive
adj. characterized by force
The police used coercive measures to control the riot.
cogent
ad. convincing; logically compelling
His cogent argument convinced me that he was right.
cogitate
v. to think carefully; ponder
I have finished cogitating about her proposal, and I have reached a decision.
cognate (adj.)
adj. related, similar
The French word “amour” and the English word “amorous” are cognate.
cognate (n.)
n. word related to one in another language
The English work “is” and the Latin word “est” are cognates.
cognition
n. mental process by which knowledge is acquired
During cognition there is increased activity in certain parts of the brain.
cognitive
adj. involving or relating to cognition
Brad took a course in cognitive psychology.
cognizant
adj. informed; conscious; aware
I am cognizant of your problem, but you’ll have to solve it yourself.
cognomen
n. a surname; a nickname
The two-hundred-pound football tackle is known by his cognomen “Little John.”
coherent
adj. intelligible, understandable; sticking together
The essay is admirably logical and coherent.
coherence
n. condition of being intelligible and understandable
Coherence is considered a major virtue in modern expository writing.
cohesion
n. the act or process of sticking together
Crime tends to rise when there is poor social cohesion.
cohesive
adj. well-integrated; unified
Let’s have a party to make our class more cohesive.
collaborate
v. to work together
Before you collaborate with someone, it’s a good idea to find out whether that person is a good worker.
collaborative
adj. relating to or characteristic of working together
The book is a collaborative effort.
collage
n. artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements
The artist’s collage was made out of materials he had collected in China.
collateral
adj. accompanying or concomitant
During war, collateral damage to civilian areas is sometimes difficult to avoid.
colloquial
adj. typical of informal speech
Colloquial expressions are ordinarily acceptable in informal speech but not in formal speech.
colloquy
n. dialogue, conversation
The university sponsored a colloquy on social problems.
collude
v. to make a secret agreement for deceitful purposes
The two companies were accused of colluding to raise prices.
collusion
n. secret agreement between two or more parties for a fraudulent or illegal purpose
Investigators suspect the mayor of collusion to commit fraud.
colossal
adj. huge
The sun produces a colossal amount of heat.
combustible
adj. easily burned
The campers searched for combustible material to build a fire.
commendable
adj. praiseworthy
The student made a commendable effort to improve his performance.
commensurate
adj. proportional
Punishment should be commensurate with the crime.
commiseration
n. expression of pity
Immediately after the disasater rescue workers had little time for commiseration.
commodious
adj. spacious, roomy
His promotion to vice-president meant that Stan would move to a commodious new office.
commodity
n. something that can be turned to commercial advantage
Information is increasingly becoming a commodity.
commune
v. to be very sensitive and receptive to something
The poet went for a walk in the mountains to commune with nature.
communicable
adj. transmittable
The school was closed because of a severe outbreak of a communicable disease.
compelling
adj. having a powerful effect; demanding attention
The evidence was so compelling that the judge ordered the prisoner to be released.
compendium
n. a brief, comprehensive summary
The history professor gave3 the class a compendium of European history she had written.
complacent
adj. self-satisfied
The coach was concerned that his team would become complacent after winning ten straight games.
complaisant
adj. overly polite; willing to please; obliging
The novel is mainly about a woman and her complaisant husband.
complement
n. something that completes or makes up a whole
The football team’s good running game is a complement to its excellent passing game.
compliant
adj. yielding
The legislature was compliant, giving into all of the president’s demands.
complicity
n. partnership in wrongdoing
The suspect denied complicity in the crime.
composure
n. mental calmness
Good leaders are able to keep their composure during a crisis.
comprehensive
adj. thorough, conclusive
The new president of the company ordered a comprehensive review of marketing strategies.
compulsive
adj. obsessive
Adrian is a compulsive gambler.
compunction
n. uneasiness caused by guilt
The judge had no compunction at sentencing the murderer to life imprisonment.
concave
adj. curving inward
The lens is concave.
concede
v. to yield, admit
Though far behind in the election tally, the candidate refused to concede.
conception
n. something conceived in the mind
The artist tried to capture his conception in pen and ink.
conceptualize
v. to envision, imagine
The chemistry teacher made a model of the compound to help her students conceptualize it.
conciliatory
adj. overcoming distrust or hostility
Ben felt bad about starting the argument with Sue and talked to her in a conciliatory way.
concise
adj. brief and compact
The new dictionary is a concise version of the full-length one.
conclusive
adj. decisive; ending all controversy
The study provides conclusive evidence for the theory.
concoct
v. to invent
The teacher waited to see that excuse Billy would concoct for not doing his assignment.
concomitant
adj. existing concurrently
The increase in poverty led to a concomitant increase in crime.
concord
n. harmony; agreement
After so much bitter dispute, the senators were happy to discuss an issue on which there was concord.
concordance
n. agreement; concord
The nation signed a concordance agreeing to cultural exchanges with its neighbor.
concur
v. to agree
A majority of the committee concurs with the proposal.
condescend
v. to bestow courtesy with a superior air
The queen condescended to allow commoners to visit the palace.
condone
v. to overlook voluntarily; forgive
The teacher condoned the student’s poor behavior because she knew that he had serious family problems.
conduit
n. a pipe or channel for conveying fluids; conveyor of information
The embassy is a conduit for confidential information about the country.
conflagration
n. big fire
After the oil refinery was bombed, there was a conflagration.
confluence
n. meeting place, meeting of two streams
Our plan is to paddle our canoes to the confluence of this stream and Otter Creek.
conformity
n. harmony; agreement
We were surprised to find conformity in views on the controversial issue.
confound
v. to baffle, perplex; mix up
The weakest hitter on the team confounded everyone by going on a 30-game hitting streak.
congenial
adj. similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to
The congenial host greeted us at the door.
congenital
adj. existing at or before birth
No one trusts Jim because he has a reputation as a congenital liar.
conglomerate
n. group of varied things
The painting uses a conglomerate of colors.
conglomeration
n. an accumulation of diverse things
The firm grew into a conglomeration as it acquired different types of busineesses.
congress
n. formal meeting
The student leaders met at a national congress.
congruent
adj. corresponding
The two triangles are congruent.
conjecture
n. speculation, prediction; conclusion reached without proof
There has been a lot of conjecture about the existence of ghosts, but little proof.
conjugal
adj. pertaining to marriage agreement
Conjugal visits were denied to all inmates after the prison riots.
conjunction
n. a simultaneous occurrence; a combination
An exact conjunction of Jupiter and Venus at 15 degrees Aquarius will occur on August 20.
conjure
v. to evoke a spirit; bring to mind
The spiritualist claims to be able to conjure spirits.
connivance
n. act of conspiring or scheming
The crime could only have been committed with the connivance of employees of the company.
connoisseur
n. a person with refined taste
The art connoisseur was asked to judge the art contest.
connotation
n. a meaning suggested by a word or thing
The word “lady” has acquired unfavorable connotations for many people.
connote
v. to suggest or imply in addition to literal meaning
Good writers consider what words connote to readers.
consanguinity
n. relationship by blood or by a common ancestor; close connection
The women is seeking a divorce on grounds of consanguinity.
conscientious
adj. careful and thorough; governed by conscience
Airplane mechanics should be conscientious in doing their job because lives depend on them.
conscript (n.)
n. a person compulsorily enrolled for service
Modern nations sometimes enroll men as conscripts in the army if there aren’t enough volunteers available.
conscript (v.)
v. to enroll for service
Bug was conscripted and sent to fight overseas.
consecrate
v. to declare sacred
The church was consecrated by the bishop.
consensus
n. general agreement
There is a consensus among political scientists that the best system of government is democracy.
conservative (adj.)
adj. favoring traditional values; tending to oppose change
The Republican Party tends to be more conservative on social issues than the Democratic Party.
conservative (n.)
n. someone who favors traditional values; one who opposes change
The congressman is a conservative on economic matters but a liberal on social issues.
consign
v. to entrust; commit irrevocable
My wife consigned my five-year-old sweatshirt to the garbage.
consolidate
v. to combine; form into one system
The prime minister consolidated his power by appointing new ministers.
consonance
n. something consistent with; in agreement with something else
Our actions should have consonance with our values.
consonant
adj. consistent with, in agreement with
Ideally, our actions are consonant with our values.
consortium
n. an association formed for joint venture
The three companies formed a consortium to build the new plane.
conspicuous
adj. very noticeable, striking
Beth’s orange hair makes her conspicuous.
constituency
n. body of voters of the residents of a district represented by an elected official
The senator’s constituency is very varied.
constituent
n. part; citizen, voter
The senator visits her constituents regularly.
constraint
n. something that forces or restrains
Teenagers often complain about the constraints placed on them.
construe
v. to explain or interpret
The odd message could be construed in different ways.
consummate (adj.)
adj. accomplished, complete
A consummate pianist, Jan has performed all over the world.
consummate (v.)
v. to complete, fulfill
The merger of the two companies was consummated last month.
contagion
n. a contagious disease
Health officials worked to stop the spread of the contagion.
contemporary
adj. belonging to the same period of time; current, modern
The club holds discussions of contemporary affairs.
contemptuous
adj. manifesting or feeling contempt; scornful
The novelist is contemptuous of the work of other writers.
contend
v. to battle, compete; assert
Harry plans to contend for the middle weight boxing title.
contention
n. assertion; controversy
There is some truth in your contention.
contentious
adj. quarrelsome; causing quarrels
The Vietnam War was a contentious issue in the 1960s and early 1970s.
context
n. part of a text that surrounds a particular word or passage; circumstances of an event
If you don’t know a word, try looking for clues to its meaning from its context.
contiguous
adj. touching; neighboring; connecting without a break
The United States and Canada are contiguous countries.
continence
n. self-control
Continence is a virtue that he aspires to.
contingent
adj. dependent on conditions not yet established
The sale of the house is contingent on the prospective buyer selling her house.
contract
v. to compress or shrink; affected by
The economy contracted two percent last year.
contravene
v. to contradict, deny, act contrary to; violate
Anyone who contravenes school regulations will be punished.
contrite
adj. very sorrowful for a wrong
The daughter looked so contrite her mother forgave her.
contrivance
n., something invented or fabricated
The time machine is a contrivance that is popular in science fiction.
contrived
adj. artificial; not spontaneous
The pot of this novel is rather contrived.
controversial
adj. marked by controversy
The poll measures public opinion on controversial issues.
contumacious
adj. disobedient; rebellious
The king has grown weary of his contumacious subjects.
conundrum
n. riddle, puzzle with no solution
The conundrum has baffled scientists for centuries.
convalesce
v. to return to health after illness; recuperate
Joan is convalescing after having major surgery.
convene
v. to meet, come together
The student council president convened the first meeting of the year.
convention
n. an accepted technique or device; practice widely observed in a group
The conventions of English spelling are difficult to master.
conventional
adj. customary, commonplace
Bob holds conventional views on most issues.
convex
adj. curved outward
The image of an object reflected by a convex mirror is upright and reduced in size.
conviction
n. a fixed belief
Julie’s conviction is that more should be done to help the poor.
conviviality
n. sociable state or condition
Everyone praised the conviviality of the hosts.
convoke
v. to call together
The national association convoked a meeting of all its local chapters.
convoluted
adj. twisted, complicated
The plot of this book is so convoluted I can no longer follow it.
copious
adj. abundant, plentiful
The teacher provided copious notes for her students.
coquette
n. woman who flirts
Shirley enjoys acting in plays in which she is a coquette.
cordial
adj. warm and sincere
The two nations enjoy cordial relations.
cornucopia
n. horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance
A modern university is a cornucopia of knowledge.
corollary
n. a proposition that follows logically from one already proven; a natural consequence
The mathematician proved the corollary of the theorem.
corporal
adj. relating to the body
Corporal punishment has been outlawed in many countries.
corporeal
adj. concerned with the body; tangible, material
The scholar, concerned mainly with the life of the mind, had little interest in corporeal concerns.
corpulence
n. condition of being excessively fat
Corpulence is becoming increasingly common in the United States.
corpus
n. a large collection of writings on a specific subject or of a specific kind
The scholar searched the Shakespeare corpus for the reference.
correlation
n. mutual relationship
The scientist proved a strong correlation between exercise and health.
correlative
adj. corresponding; related
As knowledge progresses, let’s hope for a correlative increase in wisdom.
corroborate
v. to support the correctness of; make more certain
The prosecutor asked her assistant to corroborate the testimony before indicting the suspect.
corrugated
adj. winkled; ridged
The roofs of the houses are made of corrugated metal.
cosmetic
adj. relating to beauty; affecting only the surface
There are only cosmetic differences between the two candidates.
cosmology
n. a system of beliefs that seeks to describe or explain the origin and structure of the universe; the branch of science dealing with the large-scale structure, origins, and development of the universe
Cosmology has been greatly aided by the development of powerful telescopes.
cosmopolitan
adj. sophisticated, free of local prejudices
The ambassador is the most cosmopolitan woman I know.
cosmos
n. physical universe regarded as a totality
Astronomers believe that the laws of nature are the same throughout the cosmos.
cosset
v. to pamper
The rich man cosseted his only child.
coterie
n. small group of persons with a similar interest
The coterie of poets met regularly to read and discuss their poems.
coterminous
adj. having common boundaries; contiguous; coextensive in scope or time
In a democracy the interests of the people should be coterminous with those of the state.
countenance (n.)
n. facial expression
Her countenance showed her emotions clearly.
countenance (v.)
v. to favor, support
The principal countenanced greater involvement of the student council in running of the school.
countermand
v. to annul, cancel
The commander countermanded his earlier order.
countervailing
adj. counteracting
The three branches of the U.S. federal government are designed to act as countervailing centers of power.
coup
n. a brilliantly executed stratagem; coup d’état
Winning the contract to supply jet fighters to the air force was a coup for the company.
coup de grâce
n. a finishing blow; a decisive stroke
The general delivered the coup de grâce, killing the enemy commander.
coup d’état
n. the sudden overthrow of a government by a group of people in positions of authority
The coup d’état was led by a group of air force officers.
coven
n. group of witches
A local legend says coven meets here every Halloween.
covert
adj. hidden, secret
James Bond specializes in covert operations.
covet
v. to desire something owned by another
Cathy covets the latest model cell phone that Mona just got.
coy
adj. shy and flirtatious
Sheila finds that being coy attracts boys.
cozen
v. to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive
The conman cozened Rick into investing in a fraudulent scheme.
crass
adj. crude, unrefined
Susan had trouble forgiving Burt for his crass behavior at her graduation party.
craven
adj. cowardly
The soldier’s craven act was condemned by his commanding officer.
credence
n. acceptance of something as true
I can’t give any credence to your ridiculous claims.
credible
adj. believable, plausible
Your story is credible, but I’ll need more evidence before I believe it without question.
credo
n. statement of belief or principle; creed
The party issued its credo.
credulity
n. belief on slight evidence; naiveté; gullibility
The advertising campaign was based largely on the public’s credulity.
credulous
adj. gullible, trusting
The credulous customer accepted the claim that the skin cream would make her wrinkles disappear.
creed
n. statement of belief or principle
The new church outlined its creed.
creole
n. a mother tongue formed from the contact of two languages through an earlier pidgin stage; a person of mixed European and black descent; a white descendent of French settlers in some parts of the southern United States
Most English creoles were formed in English colonies, following the great expansion of British naval military power and the trade in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.
crescendo
n. gradual increase in volume of sound
The cheering reached a crescendo.
criteria
n. standards used in judging
The college’s criteria for assessing applicants are clear to everyone.
critique
n. a critical commentary
The teacher asked her students to write a critique of the poem.
cryptic
adj. puzzling
The reporters tried to figure out the president’s cryptic comment.
crystallize
v. to give definite form to
Our plans are beginning to crystallize.
cuisine
n. style of cooking
Mediterranean cuisine is becoming very popular.
culinary
adj. related to cooking
Jean decided to enroll in culinary school.
culmination
n. climax
The big Christmas party was the culmination of a two week celebration.
culpable
adj. guilty
The teacher questioned the two boys to see which of them was culpable of the offense.
cult
n. a religious sect considered by many to be extremist or false
John surprised his friends when he joined a cult.
cupidity
n. greed
The investor had already made five million dollars, but cupidity made him want more.
curator
n. caretaker of an exhibition
The curator is planning for an exhibition of Native American art.
curmudgeon
n. cranky person
The old curmudgeon’s favorite pastime is writing letters to the newspaper complaining about young people.
cursory
adj. done with little attention to detail
Mechanics only had time for a cursory inspection of the aircraft.
curt
adj. abrupt
John answered his boss’s question with a curt “no” and walked out of the door.
curtail
v. to cur short
The baseball game was curtailed after five extra innings due to darkness.
cynical
adj. skeptical or distrustful of human motives
Luke refused to become cynical, even after years of having his honesty taken advantage of.
cynosure
n. object of common interest; guide
The builders turned that eyesore of a dilapidated building into a cynosure.
